As the sun set, a cloak of darkness descended over the Guild camp, and the forest surrounding it grew quiet and serene. The soft chirping of crickets and the crackling of the campfire could be heard in the distance, as Zara, Lait, and Hayla gathered around it, their voices carrying on the wind. Despite Zara’s mounting frustration about her sister not having returned yet, they sounded like they were having a nice enough time.

Not everyone was invited, however. Condemned to guard duty, Irric and Taeme were pacing the perimeter of the camp. Taeme gazed at the others curiously through the trees, stretching and straining, in a desperate attempt to hear their conversation better. “We should get a little closer,” she said. “I can almost make out what they’re saying.”

Irric rolled his eyes. “You know, if you took your job more seriously, and acted more professionally, you might earn yourself enough trust to be chosen as a personal guard, like Keo and Jonan. In that capacity you would have a front row seat to such meetings.”

“You’re one to talk,” Taeme chided, her brows furrowed. “I don’t see you getting promoted.”

“I am where I want to be,” Irric replied calmly. “I prefer being on the move to standing around like a statue next to them.” He pointed to Jonan, who was guarding Lait with a tense expression. “Look at him. He looks like he’s about to snap.”

Taeme followed his gaze and let out a chuckle. “Yeah, poor guy. But he’s not used to it. Mr. Lait even has an extra chair for him in his office. He only has to stand at attention occasionally.”

“Huh. That so? That’s pretty lenient of Mr. Lait,” he mused.

“Right? And I bet you Ms. Zara doesn’t care about such things either. Maybe we should both strive for Keo’s and Jonan’s positions. It’d be useful to have a partner in crime,” Taeme suggested with a grin, playfully nudging Irric with her elbow.

Irric rolled his eyes. “I repeat, I’m happy where I am,” he said and resumed his patrol.

Hurrying after him, Taeme quickly caught up and glanced at him sideways. “Killjoy,” she quipped.

They walked in silence for a moment as Irric thought about his companion’s obsession with gossip. He was naturally curious about what was going on in the world as well, but she was overdoing it, and she was surely going to harp on about this trip for weeks.

When his eyes fell on the scripts written on multiple trees in the distance though, he had to relent to a degree. “I’ll give you one thing,” he said. “I did not expect to find... this out here. This settlement... and really everything within it. It’s unbelievable how quickly they’re working to build it up.”

Taeme's eyes gleamed with excitement as she jumped at this rare opportunity to gush with Irric. “Absolutely! Who knows if anyone in Alarna will even believe me. To think they’re actually considering building a bathhouse next!”

Irric nodded, intrigued by the prospect. “That would be quite something. I wonder how— Wait...” It dawned on him that Taeme had somehow heard of a rumor he didn’t know, despite being by her side all day. “How do you know that?” he asked, his tone incredulous.

Taeme paid his confusion no mind. “That girl who was hiding at first, Fae. We got to chatting while stepping out earlier. She’s currently the one doing most of the building and construction work around here.”

“And she just told you that?” he asked, blinking in surprise.

“People like to open up to me,” she said matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Hm...” Irric fell into thought, mulling over the implications of Taeme’s revelation. He had assumed the Guild would keep their future plans under wraps, just as they had tried to keep the commoners’ presence a secret. But now he realized that the opposite might be true. “Perhaps you won’t be able to spread the word about this place,” he said slowly.

“Huh?” Taeme’s head tilted to the side, confusion written all over her face. “Why?”

“Mr. Lait will likely tell us to keep everything here a secret,” Irric speculated. “We didn't expect to find anything significant out here, but they're actually living quite well. And things are only going to get better from here. Unless something unforeseen happens that they can’t handle, they’re going to thrive. The Rulers won’t want anyone finding out about this. If they did, anyone still loyal to the group might think about leaving town.”

Taeme’s face fell as the reality of the situation sunk in. “B-but... I can’t possibly keep this to myself! Their butcher area alone is a sight to behold, with all these beast hides lined up! Or how they’re constructing entire buildings without any tools! And that red stone! I’ve never even heard of a red stone before!”

“I know it’s going to be hard for you, but I’m certain the Rulers are not going to let us blab about what we saw. You would do well to prepare yourself for that.”

“Alright!” Taeme closed her eyes and lowered her head as she brought her hands together in prayer in an overly exaggerated manner. “Oh gods, please let them forget to give us instructions. Let them forget we were even here. For all I want is to share my knowledge with the good people of Alarna, to bring smiles and awe to their faces.”

Irric sighed in exasperation. “You’ve spontaneously become religious now?”

Opening one eye, Taeme glanced at him with a sly smile on her lips. “Can’t hurt, can it?”

“I suppose not,” Irric conceded. And he went one step further. “Who knows, if they’re divine messengers after all, someone might even be listening. They would surely want them to succeed.”

Stopping her playful display of devotion, Taeme turned to Irric. “There’s not many who still consider that a possibility. Do you?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Before today I would’ve said no...” he murmured thoughtfully. “But what they’re doing here seems out of this world, does it not? Just thinking about how we drank water from trees all day makes my head spin. If the gods didn’t give them these abilities, who did? They seem otherworldly. It’s... like... like...”

“Magic.”

A voice from behind suddenly interrupted Irric’s attempts to put a word to the criminals’ abilities. Irric and Taeme stopped dead in their tracks. They spun around and drew their swords in one fell swoop, leveling them at the presence behind them. As their light’s lamp followed, their eyes fell on a priest, looking back at them with a smile, unfazed by their weapons.

“It’s you. Oryn, was it?” Irric said as he and Taeme sheathed their swords, recognizing the man. “You should not sneak up on guards like this, did you not learn that at the temple?”

Oryn smiled reverently. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “You passed me by and I couldn’t help but overhear you, so I wanted to help you out. The word you’re looking for... It’s ‘magic.’ A force that transcends our understanding of nature, causing phenomena that appear out of this world, even divine. Though they are not.”

Irric’s suspicions grew at Oryn’s words. He now understood that the information this group held could be dangerous, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear any more. But as he glanced at Taeme, he could see her inner conflict. She was desperate to know more. That’s when he thought back to her words from earlier that day. As guards, gathering intel was part of their duty, and anything they learned here, they could potentially use against this group as well.

Irric steeled himself as he responded to Oryn. “These abilities are not god-given then?” he asked.

Oryn’s smile widened slightly. “They are not. In theory, anyone who understands magic can utilize it. You may wield it like a tool—albeit a complicated one, that is difficult to control.”

Irric’s eyebrow arched skeptically. “Complicated, huh? And yet this ‘magic’ is used by children. It seems like your group comes up with a new explanation for these powers whenever they please. Who came up with this term, I wonder?”

“Master Miles, of course,” Oryn replied, an amused twinkle in his eyes. “Who else would it be? He discovered this force after all, and what it can do.”

Irric scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. “As if. I wonder what explanation they’ll come up with next. Callings, divine messengers, and now everyone is supposed to be able to do this? If you’re walking around spreading these lies, you’re part of the problem, you know?”

Panic flickered in Taeme’s eyes as she watched Irric antagonize Oryn. She didn’t want him to get scared off, not when she had so many questions. But Oryn’s smile remained placid and undisturbed. “You don’t believe me. Perhaps you would like to give it a try?” he asked calmly.

The suggestion caused Irric’s eyes to widen in shock, and Taeme could barely contain her excitement. “You mean...” Irric began, the words trailing off as Taeme finished his sentence, clasping her hands in delight. “You would show us how to use magic!?”

“I’d be happy to,” Oryn said as he pulled a stick of chalk out of a pocket in his robe and handed it to an elated Taeme.

Doubt was written across Irric’s face as he watched Oryn gesturing Taeme towards a nearby tree, describing the shapes to draw onto it while Irric held the lamp. It took Oryn a solid four or five minutes to walk her through everything, emphasizing the importance of every stroke being in just the right place and angled precisely to create the formula that would call forth the magic.

Finally, scripture sigils similar to those found on water sources decorated the tree’s trunk in front of them. “Very good, that’s it,” Oryn said, nodding contently. “Now press a blue stone against the sigils.”

Taeme eagerly stuck a hand into her leather armor and pulled forth a blue stone she always had on hand for emergencies. She put it to the bark, and it disappeared within milliseconds as water came into existence in the air in front of the tree, falling to the ground in a tiny stream.

“Whoa...” the guards exclaimed in unison, understandably enamored by the display and the implications. Oryn had not touched the tree, and he hadn’t painted the sigils. All he did was explain to Taeme what to do. Irric looked at the myriad of trees around them, realizing that if anyone could do this, given a tree and some chalk, water consumption might never be a problem out here.

However, as the stream of water dwindled to a tiny trickle and then stopped completely, Taeme looked a little deflated. “Oh... That's it?” she asked.

Oryn let out a hearty chuckle. “I chose to let you create only a small amount. I hope you understand.” He dampened a piece of cloth on the moist ground to their feet and lightly wiped away most of the sigils before either of the guards could commit them to memory. “It is also worth mentioning that the specific sigils I just gave you are very situational. They won’t work on all trees.”

Irric and Taeme nodded solemnly, silently acknowledging that Oryn couldn’t just hand them magic on a silver platter. His explanation also made it clear that copying the scripture sigils from the other trees wouldn’t get them anywhere. This wasn’t knowledge you would share freely. It was too powerful. Such were their thoughts when Oryn surprised them with his next words.

“The exact system for drawing water wherever you like will be a trade secret to the Guild and its members,” he revealed.

The guards’ shoulders slumped as their assumptions were turned on their heads. The group would spill their secrets... Just not to them. Despite their disappointment, Irric and Taeme knew that they couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. They exchanged a meaningful look, silently agreeing to keep digging to find out just a little bit more.

As they were about to press Oryn for more information, the sound of crunching leaves and snapping branches interrupted their conversation. Irric and Taeme instinctively drew their weapons and turned towards the source of the noise, shielding Oryn from any potential danger.

Their eyes went wide when they caught sight of a category three beast, strolling through the dark forest. It was walking in a straight line towards the camp, and to their dismay, it wasn’t alone. They ducked down in panic when another one followed. And another... And another! They could just barely make them out in the darkness, but the silhouettes of these monsters were unmistakable.

Irric swiftly extinguished his lamp and grabbed Oryn by the arm, motioning for Taeme to follow suit. Urging his companions to move quickly, they scurried towards the camp with their heads low, determined not to attract the attention of the fearsome creatures. Irric’s heart pounded in his chest, recalling seeing at least four beasts, and knowing that he and Taeme were outnumbered.

Reaching the campfire in a matter of moments, Irric's voice was hushed as he warned the others of the incoming danger. “Beasts are coming! Four category threes, approaching from the east!”

Keo and Jonan sprang into action, their weapons at the ready, as they motioned for Zara and Lait to seek refuge in the nearby house. Fear etched on their faces, the pair obediently scurried away, their footsteps echoing in the stillness.

As the guards from Alarna formed a protective shield, Jonan’s eyes darted to Hayla and Taul, surprised to see that they appeared unfazed by the impending threat. “Ms. Hayla, you should leave as well,” he urged, a hint of confusion in his voice.

But Hayla’s lips curved into a knowing smirk. “I have a feeling there’s no need to worry,” she stated with confidence.

Perplexed but unable to dwell on it any longer, Jonan and his comrades stood their ground, their eyes trained on the shadows as they waited for the beasts to draw closer.

Before long, the beasts emerged from between the trees and undergrowth. The guards gripped their weapons tightly as it became clear that Irric had underestimated the number of creatures.

However, as the beasts approached and the moonlight and campfire illuminated their forms, the guards could make out a few more details that Irric had missed. There was no black fur to be seen, and human figures were perched atop the beasts’ backs.

Their arms slowly sank as the leader of the procession rode into the clearing, a young man in a suit with a gray wolf below and a little girl in a white, frilly dress in front of him—Riala Fera and Tomar Remor, also known as Miles.

The guards’ faces grew pale as the entire group of ten wolves entered the camp, following the leader’s example and gathering in front of the Fighters, towering over them like they were nothing more than a midnight snack.

“Good evening,” Miles said, his voice firm and unyielding.